Super Magica Wars
by Ray of Speed
Summary: Magical Girl-based crossover fiction in the narrative style of Super Robot Wars, with some additional magical-oriented toku to round out. Series list includes Nanoha A's, Heartcatch Precure, Busou Renkin, GARO, Madoka, Symphogear, and more, with a few OCs to tie it in. Rated M for inclusion of high-action series. Where will you be when the Zero Event hits?
1. Stage 1: The Beginning Was Too Sudden

_Where there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns. Yet by the blade of knights, mankind was given hope. When the first Horrors crawled through the gate, the Makai Priests were there to hold them back. Then came the Knights, clad in brilliant armour borne of Soul Metal.  
Still humans sought more, and in their endeavours, they created alchemy, homonculi, and the alchemical weapons called Busou Renkin.  
However, no matter how hard humans fought in the twilight, it seemed as if the tide of enemies were never-ending. Desertrians, Witches, Noise... and yet more foes came from beyond, enemies from space, pursued by the Time-Space Administration Bureau._

_But..._

_The beginning was all too sudden._

* * *

The petals danced in the air and they clashed again, ruthlessly exchanging blows, white on black, surrounded by swirling flowers and rushing clouds.

"Cure Moonlight..." the black one's eye opened, vibrant yellow. "You shall die with the Heart Tree!"

Backed by the huge tree, Moonlight, clad in white and silver, raised her hand to her chest. "Protecting the Heart Tree is my destiny... _Gather Up, Flower Power_! **Moon Tact**!" From within the purple heart badge at her shoulder, she withdrew a device like a conductor's baton. "**Precure Floral Power Fortissimo**!" It glowed vibrant violet, tracing an 'F' into the air. Her opposite number's hand came up.

"_Dark Power, Gather Up_... **Dark Tact**." Equal and opposite, black cloaked in crimson, to contrast the white wrapped in pinks. "**Dark Power Fortissimo**."

Swathed in energy, the two clashed in the air, smashing into each other again and again, becoming little more than streaks against the blue sky. Then they met each other for the final time as the aura wore off, leaving them both crashing to the ground. The black one hit the ground first, falling to one knee with a growl. Moonlight almost allowed herself a smirk. Almost.

And then the actual impact of her foe's attack caught up with her and left her on her back in the dirt, her armor faded, leaving her modesty just barely preserved by the brief dress beneath it, little more than light against her body. The tall man on the sidelines, face hidden behind a steel mask, finally spoke.

"The legendary warrior, Precure, has been defeated." he intoned. "Now the Heart Tree shall wilt, and this world will belong to us, the Desert Messengers!"

The effect was instantaneous. The Heart Tree's flowers wilted and fell in a flash, turning to ash before they hit the ground. The sky around them turned from brilliant blue to inky black. Still... "The flowers have fallen, but why hasn't the tree wilted?" the man mused.

Moonlight forced herself to her feet, hair and dress whipping in the wind. "That's... that's too bad." she gasped out, beaten and battered. "Even if I fall, the Precure who protect the Heart Tree will definitely appear before you."

The black one raised her Tact, drawing fort a red flame. "**Dark Forte Wave**." she growled, and crashed against Moonlight for the final time. Moonlight raised her hand, holding out her Heart Seed, her proof of existence, and drew forth the power inside it to ward the attack. Behind her, the two fairies screamed and hid behind the three's roots as the shockwave rattled them. "Cure Moonlight!"

Cure Moonlight looked back, without a single regret on her face. "Shypre, Coffret! Give the Heart Perfume to the next Precure... go search for my replacement!"

"Out of the way!" Her black nemesis snarled, flapping her one wing and pushing harder.

Then Moonlight's Heart Seed cracked, and the black one's attack erupted, blotting out the battlefield in the explosion.

* * *

**Dec 1, Uminari City, Sakuradai, 0635**

"I guess I'll wrap up this morning's practice with some shooting control practice."

[ALL RIGHT]

"**Lyrical, Magical**!" A pink circle spread out at her feet, filled with innumerable interlocking sigils. Takamachi Nanoha, nine years old, raised her small hand, conjuring forth a brilliant light. "_Holy Light, come to my hand... under my guidance, reverberate throughout the sky_!" she raised the light above her head and sent the empty can in her free hand hurtling skywards. "**Divine Shooter**, shoot!" In a flash, the light burst upwards, rapidly overtaking the can. Nanoha's brow furrowed, eyes shut. "_Control_..." The light curved, struck the can and juggled it into the air, over and over again. Nanoha's focus was entirely inwards; she could only just hear Raging Heart counting up from its spot on the park bench.

[XIII. XIX. XX. XXI.]

She could have kept going like this indefinitely, but that wouldn't be training. Nanoha let out a breath and increased the pace. "Accelerate...!" With her bullet moving twice as fast, it was twice as difficult to control. The clanking sound of the bullet smashing into the thrown can filled the air, threatening to distract her, and she clamped down on the notion, unwilling to let her attention waver.

[XCVIII. C]

Nanoha let her breath out and opened her eyes, tracking the rapidly-falling can. She swung her hand, calling the bullet nearer. "Last one...!" As the can fell level with her, the pink bullet whizzed by, smashing it towards a trash can... but it hit the rim and bounced off. Nanoha sighed. So close.

[DON'T MIND, MY MASTER]

"Thanks, Raging Heart..." she laughed self-effacingly and scooped the can up herself. "How would you grade my training today?"

[ABOUT 80 POINTS]

"I see." That wasn't a big improvement over yesterday, but it wasn't a loss, either. Maybe if she'd hit the can at a better angle... although she'd need to work on the speed of her eyes if she wanted to do that with accuracy. So much to do. Nanoha turned, viewing the sunrise from the park she'd chosen for her training. The tiredness was a constant companion, but she'd never felt at rest if she wasn't doing anything. Nearly seven... she tied Raging Heart – the little red sphere that had come to be her closest companion – around her neck and turned to leave. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late for breakfast.

Morning only threw Nanoha one curveball. Everything else was the same: her father reading the newspaper, her mother and sister making breakfast, her sister complaining about missing Yuuno... but the best thing was a new video message from Fate. Nanoha thanked her brother, only too happy to hear something from her friend... the criminal law trial she'd been involved in with the Mid-Childan courts had taken a long time, but was finally nearing its end; hopefully they could meet soon. In reality, that was what was occupying Nanoha's mind more than anything else, and it was taking a lot of willpower to keep her focus on her training – letting Raging Heart drain her Linker Core to zero while she slept to exercise it like any other organ, physical training in the mornings, image training during schoolwork... it never ended.

Nanoha checked the black ribbons that held up her auburn hair one last time before she left, making sure they were still in place. A gift from a friend. _Fate..._

* * *

"This isn't good." she crouched over the enforcer's limp body, frowning deeply. They weren't dead, but they were like that when she got there, even though it was her they'd been tracking down. The TSAB's special Belkan branch, with customized, noble-style uniforms and spear Devices. The problem, however, was that she didn't sense anything resembling magic from them. "What do you think, Skull Heart?"

The Jolly Roger pendant hanging around neck almost seemed to twitch. The eyes and mouth glowed golden against the black jewel it was set into. [NO MAGIC DETECTED]

"That's what I thought." the woman stood up, shook her hair back. "Earth, huh... I haven't been here since I was a kid. This is where that kid they're calling the White Devil is from, too. Probably best to not stick around for too long... but this is worrying. If something's going around draining people's Linker Cores..." she rubbed her chin. "Hm, the TSAB is going to be all over this. I'd better not eat them or I'll draw all kinds of heat... still, now I'm curious. Wanna go look?"

[WHATEVER]

"You're as useful as ever." she grinned. "Alright, let's go take a look around. There's a seriously strong magical power around here... so if someone's suckin' Linker Cores dry, they'll go there." the woman turned on her heel and stalked away, coat fluttering in the wind.

* * *

_Can you find it, Vita?_

_It's weird. It's like it's here and not here. Still, it's freakishly strong..._

The red girl raised her hammer. Dressed in the loose outfit and skirt of a knight, the two stylistic remarks on the outfit were the beret, outfitted with two plush rabbit heads, and the leather twin tails than hung down from the back of the tunic. As the hammerhead fell, a crimson triangle spread at her feet, hanging in the air below her. Each point came to a circle, marked with runes at each edge. "Barrier Field, Extend."

Her hammer spoke in a guttural voice. [GEFANGNIS DER MAGIE]

The sky warped around them as the field extended, hedging out mundane folk. In reality, it was more like shifting everyone magical half a dimension over, so that they were out of phase and invisible. Vita shut her eyes and focused her search. Without the too-weak Linker Cores creating static, finding the overwhelmingly powerful magic source she'd been searching for was almost too easy. "Got it." her blue eyes came open again. "Magical reaction... it's the real thing! Let's go, Graf Eisen." she glanced at her hammer.

[JAWOHL]

* * *

Even this late, Nanoha was still at her desk, finishing up her homework. There was no way it was getting done in the morning – that would interfere with her training - so even if she had to stay up late, it was getting done before bed. Raging Heart's voice snapped her out of her study.

[CAUTION. EMERGENCY]

"Hm?" Nanoha started to look up – but then the Barrier overtook her and she shot to her feet. "A Barrier? Here?" She scooped up Raging Heart, honing in on the source. "... whatever it is, it's coming closer...?" There was hesitation, but only a moment. She steeled herself and made her move. First things first was to get out of her house and away from anyone who might be hurt.

* * *

By the time she'd got far enough for her liking, she was on top of one of Uminari's many skyscrapers, looking around for her target. Where was the person behind the Barrier?

[IT COMES]

Raging Heart's warning was almost too late, but Nanoha's reflexes were like lightning, and she almost instantly targeted the gold-and-red bullet hurtling down from the sky towards her.

[HOMING BULLET] Raging Heart identified for her. Nanoha spread her legs for stability and raised her hand, calling up a magic circle as a defence. The bullet hit, grinding against it, but she could defend it... at least until another bullet, this one a girl, dropped in behind her, hammer raised. Her voice was a pure, feral, roar. "_Deadly Punishment_!"

Nanoha's other hand came up, blocking that attack as well – but being punished from both sides, something had to give. It wasn't her, but rather, the rooftop beneath her feet. It didn't take much – first the concrete was pounded about an inch down, and then it crumbled, ruining her footing and consequently her defence. The combined impact blew up a smokescreen, but it wasn't enough to hide Nanoha being ejected from the roof and sent tumbling headfirst to the ground below.

She didn't show even an ounce of fear. Nanoha had fallen from worse heights than this before. "Raging Heart, please!"

[STANDBY READY] The jewel around her neck glowed, the words appearing in spidery text, not etched into the surface, but rather, held inside. [SET UP]

The hammerite was forced to hold back as her target was wrapped in a brilliant pink glow. It wasn't just an aura, but almost a living thing that clung tight to her body and filled out, turning from nothing more than light to a wonderfully brilliant dress, primarily white with striking blue highlights, tied at the chest with a single red ribbon over a brief golden breastplate. The sleeves ended in almost-Renaissance styled armour that wrapped her wrists and extended up her forearms, while her hands were half-covered in fingerless gloves. Raging Heart changed, too – the jewel became the centrepiece of a golden-headed staff with a white haft; a single white wing extended from the reverse side of the staff's head.

Vita didn't give her any time, though. She raised a hand, gripping an iron ball, and flicked it up, bringing Graf Eisen to bear.

[SCHWALBEFLIEGEN]

The hammer hit hard, smashing the ball down as a bullet – _just like before_ – and struck the pink sphere Nanoha had been hovering in. Vita was about one second behind it, smashing through the smokescreen with the red hammer, but Nanoha vanished before that, making her way out of the cloud even as Vita split it in half.

"I don't remember doing anything to provoke you like this!" she called back, turning and coming to a halt on the pink wings extending from her heels, her source of flight. "Where do you come from? Why are you doing this?"

Vita ignored her and raised her hand. Yet more iron balls snapped into being, smaller this time, held between her fingers.

Nanoha snapped her hand out to the side. "If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"

Had Vita not glanced back over her shoulder, just in case, the fight might have been over then. But she did, just in time to see the two pink bullets closing in on her six. _When had her target set those up?_ She raised Graf Eisen with both hands, blocking the attack and wiping it out with a flicker of fire. Projectile attacks abandoned, Vita turned back and hurtled at Nanoha, raising her hammer high. "You little twerp!"

[FLASH MOVE]

By the time the hammer came down, Nanoha wasn't there anymore. She moved so fast she left a silhouette in the air, leaving Vita swinging at nothing, and took advantage of the gap to bring Raging Heart properly into play. [CANNON MODE] Wrapped in pink, Raging Heart changed, going from a staff to a full fledged cannon – the head shifted, coming to a white-armored lance surrounding a golden barrel; three pink wings extended from it, two on top and one on the bottom. Below the haft, the blue armour opened up, offering a grip and trigger, which Nanoha took in her left hand, steadying the cannon with her whole body. Wrapped in magic circles from head to base, Raging Heart glowed, drawing pink lines in the air as it charged up.

"Listen..." [DIVINE] "... _to me_!" [BUSTER]

Even Vita couldn't block it properly. The blast was just too big and too strong – who _was_ this girl!? - and the best she could do was deflect it to one side, where it arced and whistled off into the sky before it petered out, burning her clothes. The wind set her orange hair whipping, which was her first clue, and she let herself get distracted for a moment, just in time to see her hat falling to the floor below.

No words. Vita's voice caught in her throat somewhere between a snarl and a growl, and Nanoha flinched backwards in the air, completely involuntarily – just the glare had been enough to make her body move. Vita's hammer came up, then to the side, and another magic triangle grew beneath her feet. The head of the hammer extended, revealing a breech containing a single red-filled capsule. "Graf Eisen... **Cartridge Load**!"

[EXPLOSION]

The hammer gleamed... and smashed back together again, venting steam as the capsule was slammed into the guts of the Device. [RAKETENFORM] The hammer was wrapped in red bricks that shifted, rotated, and vanished away again into the air. When they cleared, it had changed, going from a simple hammer to a full-fledged halberd – one side had been sharpened to a point, while the other had become nothing short of a _rocket engine_.

Nanoha grit her teeth, ready to defend herself. This was going to be bad.

Vita's voice rung out. "_Raketen_...!"

Nanoha managed to dodge the first swing.

The second time, she wasn't so lucky.

The hammerhead came through the air, describing a golden arc with its rocket trail, and smashed clean through the barrier she called up, grinding against the head of her staff like a jackhammer. The look of shock on her face said it all. Nothing could have prepared her for that hit.

But, Vita wasn't done.

"_HAMMER_!"

The impact blew Nanoha across the city block and clean through an office window. She smashed through the window, scattering glass everywhere, and bounced across the ground – but she wasn't out yet, and she scrambled to her feet, ready for the next blow in spite of the fact that Raging Heart was almost falling apart in her hands. Vita was there in the next second, merciless, and Raging Heart acted of its own accord this time.

[PROTECTION]

Nanoha's barrier hadn't been enough the first time.

It wasn't this time, either.

"_Break through it_!"

[JAWOHL]

Graf Eisen shattered the barrier and missed Nanoha's chest by less than a centimeter. Only her Barrier Jacket saved her, and even that was smashed to pieces, shattered into the air. Nanoha hit the wall and slumped down. The impact was bad. She'd hit debris from the initial attack and landed jarringly; everything below the waist just wasn't answering her right now. In spite of her blurring vision, she grit her teeth and struggled to raise Raging Heart. Vita stepped over her. Graf Eisen vented steam and discharged the spent canister, which tinkled on the ground and rolled away.

Obviously, Nanoha was defenseless. Neither attack nor defense would save her now.

_Is this the end...? No...! Yuuno... Chrono... Fate!_

* * *

"Oh, man, looks that's it." the coated woman watched the battle from afar. "So that's the girl they called the White Devil?"

[SEEMS LEGIT]

"Come on, don't be like that." she laughed softly. "It looked like she was living a pretty carefree life. That little knight loli fighting her looks like our target, too."

[CUTTING IN?]

She shook her head. "I'll wait. If she takes out the White Devil then that's one less threat here that the TSAB can use against me. If not, maybe I'll come down on her side... if she was here casually and not mobilized, that probably means the Belkan nobles are keeping this quiet from the TSAB as a whole, which is to my advantage. Maybe I'll even join her side."

[OPPORTUNIST]

That got another laugh out of her. It wasn't entirely pleasant. "You know me... the only reason we're even together is because I'm that way, Skull Heart. I'll take whatever I can get!"

* * *

A pure bell rang, followed by the unmistakable clash of metal on metal.

Nanoha, who had her eyes squeezed shut, looked up hopefully.

The girl she wanted so much to see stood before her, back turned, locking weapons with Vita. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder and turned, ever so slightly, to find the blonde boy she'd called out to smiling at her. "Sorry we're late, Nanoha."

Vita snarled and twisted Graf Eisen free, leaping back just enough to get out of immediate range of retaliation. "Your allies?"

[SCYTHE FORM] The black polearm in the girl's hands snapped to life with golden light, forming a crackling arc of energy.

Fate Testarossa's red eyes came up, merciless, and her soft, dusky voice echoed over the battlefield.

"We're _friends_."


	2. Stage 2: Judgment Justice

Vita hadn't been prepared to fight this many people. Not that she couldn't, but she was already down to two Cartridges, and if any more enemies came crawling out of the woodwork she'd be in trouble. Her eyes flicked to the head of Graf Eisen as she considered, halfway tuning out the newcomer blonde's dialogue. Something about being on probation with the TSAB.

"... Fate Testarossa. Throw down your weapons and come quietly, and I guarantee you a fair trial."

Vita's eyebrow twitched. "Who would agree to that?" she snapped, and threw herself backwards, out of the shattered window. Her quarry would have to be abandoned for the moment.

Fate glanced back for a moment, meeting Nanoha's eyes, and smiled gently – then followed, gone in a heartbeat.

"Yuuno..." Nanoha, for her part, was having a hard enough time keeping her vision focused, but Yuuno's healing magic was already paying dividends, strengthening her body if not her rattled mind. The boy smiled at her.

"When we couldn't get through to you, Fate got worried, so we came down to check. Arf's here, too." Yuuno assured her. "Just take it easy, okay?"

"Okay..."

Over the city, red and yellow clashed, scythe on hammer. "Persistent little bitch!"

"Hm." Fate's response was non-committal at best, more interested in testing the limits of Vita's strength. She shifted her grip on Bardiche and pushed the red girl back, then twirled her blade back, holding it closer to the haft. "**Arc Saber**!" Fate swung the weapon out, actually _hurling_ the golden blade through the air towards Vita – not only a quick attack, but the thing curved and wobbled on its arc in mid-air, making it hard to tell where it was going to land. Rather than risk evading it, Vita's hands came together, forming a red glow in the air.

[PANZERHINDERNIS]

She'd anticipated that the boomerang blade would hit her shield and dissipate, but instead, it _bit in_, slowly grinding its way through the heavy barrier she'd flung up. _Are you _kidding me_? Who the hell are these people?_

"**Barrier**...!"

Vita jolted and twisted to seek the source of the new voice, looking around and then up to see an orange streak descending on her; she could just make out one fist raised. _Damnit!_

"**Break**!"

The red knight didn't stick around – she abandoned her barrier and fell back, and the orange lightning crushed it in a single punch; the magic crystallised into brittle shards and scattered into the air, worthless. Her new aggressor didn't stop there, though; she raised her hand, fingers spread. Vita recognised the motion.

"Oh no you don't!"

[PFERDE]

As Graf Eisen spoke the words, Vita's greaves were wrapped in golden wind, and she shot loose of the rapidly-closing binds the woman had attempted to throw around her limbs, aiming to get some distance. _This is bad..._

"Tch, missed her. She's quick." The wolf-woman who had come swinging in rolled her shoulder, which had the unfortunate side effect of making her threaten to damage her too-tight top. Given the tight outfit, the shorts, and the leather driving gloves, she would have looked every inch the street brawler if she could have got rid of the Big Sister vibe hanging around her.

"I'll engage her directly. Arf, circle around her." Fate instructed quietly. Arf nodded and moved out, while Fate flew after Vita, blade raised.

Sparks flew as they locked up again; one on one, the red knight's sheer power was a good match for Fate's speed, and they kept coming to a deadlock. This time, though, when Vita tried to shove her away, Fate dug in and shifted her grip, parrying the blade aside and making Vita sway badly in the air, overbalancing with a yelp. "Now!"

"You!" Vita snapped at her, bringing Graf Eisen around to try and take Fate's head clean off her shoulders, but before she could get there she found her limbs locked and then snapped out, as if crucified. Looking down, she spotted the reason why: she'd lost track of the familiar, Arf, in the melee, and the wolf-woman was holding her down with a basic bind. _D, damnit!_

Fate held Bardiche ready; the golden blade hovered uncomfortably close to Vita's face. "Now, come quietly." she murmured, her voice just barely above a growl. Now that they'd caught her, she could finish this quickly and rush back to Nanoha.

Naturally, this was the exact moment everything went wrong.

Arf picked up on it first. "Fate! Something really bad is coming!" she called up, right before a blue-and-white blur flickered into being in front of her and nearly decapitated her with a high kick that sent her flying in spite of her blocking it with both hands.

Fate, on the other hand, had to contend with a purple flash. She did slightly better, blocking the first hit and resolving her target into her vision: tall woman, easily twice her height, armour somewhere between actual armour and a longcoat, long pink hair, wide-bladed sword. Same style of clothing as the red one. _The hammer knight had allies._

The new woman smiled, placed a hand on the back of her sword. Fate's eyes flicked down and she instantly realised her mistake: _the sword was still in its sheathe_. By the time she realised it, it was too late; the purple knight had grasped the handle and drawn her blade, bringing it around in a high arc.

"Laevatein, **Cartridge Load**!"

The swordblade extended briefly and slammed back, issuing a gout of steam. [EXPLOSION]

Fate's guard had come across, but it was never going to be anywhere near strong enough, not for the flaming blade that dropped through the air like a swung guillotine. "**Shiden Issen**!" The slash cut through her barrier like it wasn't even there, then caught on Bardiche's haft. Fate thought she was safe, just for a moment, that maybe she'd stopped it with the combined block.

Then the blade arced down and through, and Fate was sent hurtling down into the city below, crashing through the top three stories of the skyscraper below, clutching both halves of Bardiche near to her body.

"Are you alright, Vita?" The swordswoman turned to her red compatriot, who pouted so deeply that she could have tripped over her lower lip.

"You didn't have to help me. I was about to turn things around and beat them up." Vita complained. The lady raised her hand and shattered Vita's bonds.

"I see. Sorry to get in your way." she replied, straight-faced, and held up Vita's red hat, lost in the melee with Nanoha. "Here. I repaired it for you."

Vita took it, looking mildly bashful. "Thank you, Signum."

"Now, let us return to the fray." Signum turned away, holding her blade near. "In a one-on-one situation, we Belkan Knights..."

"... will never lose!" Vita completed.

* * *

"Are you okay, Fate?"

Fate had taken a few moments to recollect herself after suffering a tumble through no small amount of steel and concrete. Still, her scanty Barrier Jacket had barely been touched, and as for Bardiche...

"Yes. We can keep fighting; Bardiche's main body is undamaged." Fate told Yuuno, who had indeed scurried over to check on her in the meantime. "How's Nanoha?"

"Stable. She's not getting back into this fight, but she's still okay." Yuuno assured her.

"Yuuno. Could you transfer everybody inside this barrier outside?"

That made him blink. "I... with Arf, yes."

Fate turned her attention skywards, mentally calling out to her familiar. _Is that okay for you?_

_Yeah, I can do that!_ Arf replied, harried from her ongoing battle. Fate licked her lips, considering.

"Then. I'll engage them and buy time for Yuuno and Arf to transfer them outside. Yuuno, will you look after Nanoha?"

"I'll set up a barrier for her." Yuuno nodded and the two moved upwards, Fate up and out, Yuuno onto the roof where he and Nanoha had been viewing the fight from. He touched down next to her. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes." Nanoha confirmed, looking distinctly on edge. "But, I want to help..."

"Just stay here for now." Yuuno smiled and made a series of symbols with his hands, fingers blurring together as they were knitted, unknitted, crossed and uncrossed. A green magic circle sprung up around Nanoha's feet, then coalesced into a dome over her head.

"Yuuno?"

"Whatever you do, don't leave the circle. It will protect you and heal you as long as you're in it." Yuuno smiled and turned to leave.

At that moment, a gloved hand descended on his shoulder. "Stay here and watch the White Devil. I'll square off with that red knight."

Yuuno jerked and, tense as he was, came pretty close to attacking her on the spot. The woman had taken him completely by surprise; she hadn't made any noise and he hadn't even sensed her approach. Nanoha just looked on curiously, ready to intervene even in her damaged state if she had to. The newcomer was tall and lithe, probably late teens or early twenties, and her sparse outfit of leather pants, tank top, and heavy black longcoat did little to conceal her fit body. So not your average mage, then. She didn't react to Yuuno's jolt beyond a small smile.

"It's okay, I'm not with them." The woman turned so that Nanoha could see her properly; rich red eyes and black hair with white tinges that suggested the black was dye... and then there was the pendant hanging around her neck, the Jolly Roger with eerily glowing golden eyes. "Well, we can do introductions later but you can call me Alexis for now." She stepped forward to the edge of the roof, grinning. "Turn it up, Skull Heart! Our concert starts here!"

[IGNITION]

The transformation wasn't as involved as for Nanoha – rather than a full clothing change, it simply blazed her coat white and marked it in with an emblem of the Jolly Roger spreading across the back, plus another patch on the chest and on each wrist. The rest remained as standard; she didn't even get a weapon. With one last wink back, Alexis leaped from the edge of the building and took off, rocketing into the warzone.

* * *

"You have good senses for a mage. What's your name?" In the interim, Fate still hadn't been able to make headway on Signum. The sword knight seemed able to either parry away or just straight up _not care_ about her attacks, putting her at a serious disadvantage. She hesitated before she replied.

"... Fate Testarossa. And, this is Bardiche." she gestured with her weapon. Signum actually smiled gently.

"I am the Knight of Sword, Signum, and my blade is Laevatein." she span her sword offhandedly, reseating the blade. "Your senses are good. But, that isn't enough for fighting a Belkan Knight!" Signum flickered and blurred out – not in just one direction, but to both sides simultaneously. Fate whipped around in the air, thankful that she had her back to one of the higher-rising buildings, but it wasn't until she looked _up_ that she realised the whole setup was a feint and Signum was coming down on her like purple lightning.

Rather than blocking at the haft, this time Fate swung Bardiche and locked blades with Signum directly, power to power. Sparks flew, but as it stood, it was obvious who the victor would be: Laevatein ground in through Bardiche's external armour and smacked against the golden gem itself, putting a solid crack through the surface. As they parted, the sword knight lashed out with one of her long legs, catching Fate by surprise in the ribs and smashing her back into the concrete between rows of windows. Fate groaned and forced herself to move, dodging Signum's follow-up strike by millimetres and taking off straight up the face of the building at a pace that cracked each row of windows in passing. She could hear Signum pursuing her, shattering the already-weakened windows. This was _bad_. Where had such powerful enemies even sprung from?

_Signum! More came out!_

Signum didn't peel off her pursuit, but she did track the red flash Vita made in the air out of the corner of her eye, seeing her clash with a mix of white and black. _I can't sense anything._

_That's because there's nothing to sense! She's not like the other ones..._ Vita made a sound of annoyance. _I don't want to waste time fighting something that won't fill pages._

_Just deal with her quickly then._ Signum advised, and turned her attention back to Fate. Vita growled.

_I know that!_

"Stop_ dancing_!" Vita snarled at her opponent, who seemed to be amusing herself by staying just out of reach of Graf Eisen – but every time Vita started to pull away, Alexis pursued her, keeping her at an uncomfortable distance.

"I happen to like dancing. But, hey, if you'd like me to fight seriously..." Alexis flicked her left hand out. "**T-LINK Saber, Set On**!" The coat blazed for a moment, covered in multicoloured lines, which rapidly converged on that same arm, forming a sword held in a blue sheathe strapped to her forearm – wide-bladed but one-handed, and presently locked into the sheathe, handle towards her hand. As an added touch, from the collar of the coat burst a rich, if ragged, crimson cloak, whipping in the wind. Vita snorted as they clashed; Alexis blocked her with the raised sheathe.

"You plan to fight me with that tiny sword in its sheathe?"

"I'm thinking pretty seriously about it." It was hard to tell whether or not the tall woman was being serious, but Vita hissed and withdrew, bringing Graf Eisen overhead for a crushing blow.

"Weakling! Get out of my way!"

The cape got in the way, but she smashed through it, only to overbalance as she hit nothing but air. Alexis' voice was right in her ear, smirking. "Where were you looking?" she purred, and hit Vita square in the chin with the hilt of the blade, using it like a baton. Vita recoiled, snarling. It hurt, but it didn't actually injure her; from a hit like that, she wouldn't even bruise.

"I told you, stop dancing and fight seriously!"

"Oh, this _is_ serious." Alexis replied, smiling as they met again. Vita was really strong; each hit was cracking the sheathe – reinforced with the blade itself – in a pretty serious manner. Vita's blue eyes zeroed on it and she hissed.

_That's why she didn't draw it; she needs the extra mass to block me! So, she's kinda weak...!_

"Smash through it, Graf Eisen!" Vita yelled, turning her body to put even more force on the cracking sheathe, looking to break the weapon completely. Before that, though, Alexis' free hand went to the hilt itself.

"**Saber: Active**!"

Vita only just moved in time to avoid potentially losing her arm. As it stood, as the blade came out of the sheathe, it sparked off her armor, so maybe she could have taken it, but the sneak attack wasn't very endearing to her. "You...!"

[PFERDE]

Taking no more chances, she cast her quick spell and backed off as quick as she could, leaving Alexis in the dust. With a flick of her wrist, Vita drew forth another set of orbs, preparing another bombardment attack. Alexis, on her hand, span her sword in her hand, but didn't come closer. Instead...

"**Oxtongue Rifle**!"

The sword, sheathe, and cape disassembled, reforming in her hands as a huge, boxy, purple rifle, dual-barreled and almost as large as herself. She leveled it as Vita flicked the metal balls out and smashed them with Graf Eisen, triggering another shot-type attack.

[SCHWALBEFLIEGEN]

"**B-Mode**!"

Compared to Vita's magical attack, the Oxtongue Rifle really did just appear to be any oversized rifle – a pump style, oddly enough, ejecting a shell with each shot. Still, Alexis managed to pick off each one of the incoming attacks before they'd even crossed half the intervening distance, and her smile hadn't wavered. "You are... really strong." _Too strong... I can't beat her with Skull Heart, so I can't beat her at all. Good thing I didn't get singled out or I'd be dead by now..._

"You... I don't have time to deal with you!" Vita snapped back, raising Graf Eisen as if she was about to load another cartridge.

_Don't, Vita._

Vita didn't physically react, but she didn't load her cartridge, either. Instead, she silently rejoiced at the voice that flowed through to her. _Shamal!_

_I have the book. I'll do something about this, so just hang tight!_

Vita smirked and lowered Graf Eisen at Alexis. _I can do that._ "Your weapons are too easily broken; you shouldn't have stepped up to me like that!"

"Is that so?" Alexis just smirked back, keeping the Rifle leveled at Vita's face. "Well, I happen to be fond of these kinds of weapons... you're a Belkan Knight, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. And we're the strongest around." It didn't come out like bragging.

Alexis' smile grew, going from gently mocking to 'completely crazy' as it spread across her face. "Then... as people who only feel alive in the heat of combat, let's have ourselves a friendly little fight to the death!"

* * *

Nanoha watched on silently. Yuuno had left her there to not draw attention to her while he quietly set up a transfer from the shadows – Arf, of course, was busy clashing with her own opposite number, the bronzed wolf-man who had attacked her previously. She didn't need a close look to tell that, even with the numbers advantage and the woman who had randomly stepped in to help them, they were _still losing_. She looked up at the barrier.

Yuuno, Fate, and Arf were here... that meant, almost without doubt, that there had to be a TSAB ship nearby. At the moment, the barrier would of course be blocking that out... that's why Fate wanted to transfer everyone outside. If she could break the barrier... but, that was impossible, looking at the state of both her own body and how beaten-up Raging Heart had become. So there was really nothing she could do to help...

[LET'S SHOOT IT: STARLIGHT BREAKER]

Raging Heart's voice jolted Nanoha from her thoughts, and she stared at her Device incredulously. Raging Heart was all but crumbling in her hands. "No way! If we do that, you'll..."

[I CAN BE SHOT]

As Raging Heart said it, it spread its wings, as if to enforce its will. Nanoha grit her teeth, but in reality she barely had to think about it. Two seconds later she was out of the magic circle, planting her heel on the edge of the rooftop for stability.

[COUNT: X. COMMENCING COUNTDOWN]

_Everyone, look out! I'm going to use Starlight Breaker and blow straight through their barrier!_

Elsewhere in the fight, Fate, Yuuno, and Arf looked to Nanoha in a hurry, then redoubled their efforts, clashing hard with their opponents to prevent them getting anywhere near them. For the Belkans' part, they recognized the issue, and fought harder still, turning the sky into a collage of sparks and blasts.

[IX. VIII. VII. VI. V. IV. III. III. III. III...]

"Are you okay, Raging Heart?" Nanoha couldn't help the worry creeping into her voice. Right now, Raging Heart was the focal point for a rapidly-expanding orb of pink light – pure, compressed magical energy, gathered from all over the area and pushed into one spot. If she fell apart now, there was no telling what could happen. The red orb at the center of Raging Heart sparked, turning static-y for a moment before it stabilized.

[RESTARTING COUNTDOWN. COUNT: III. II. I.]

Nanoha was one breath shy of launching her ultimate move when a hand exploded out of her chest.

In a heartbeat, the situation was reversed. Where before, Nanoha's friends – and Alexis – had been denying the Belkan Knights access to the injured girl, now it was the Knights who were blocking them from rushing to her side. The hand shifted, as if groping for something.

"Oh, no... I missed... then, this time!" Shamal, Knight of the Lake, had ensconced herself behind the outcropping of the downstairs on a nearby roof. The groceries she'd collected sat by her side, bagged and untouched; what mattered right now was the portal in front of her, generated by the pendants extending from the rings on her right hand. Her left hand was extended through the portal, where it reappeared from Nanoha's chest... she withdrew slightly, making the girl wince and groan in pain, and tried again. This time, she held in her hand a small, pink light: Nanoha's Linker Core, the source of her magic. Shamal ran her free hand against the back of the heavy tome floating in the air before her, brown-backed and marked with a golden cross within a circle. "Capture Linker Core... begin collection!"

[SAMMLUNG]

As the book spoke, it glowed as if backlit with purple light, and each blank page filled with warped runes. It leafed through itself automatically, turning to a new page as each one before it was filled; Nanoha's Linker Core shrank.

Nanoha felt like she was going to be sick, between the sensation of having someone's hand shoved _through_ her chest and her Linker Core slowly dying out. It didn't actually _hurt_, but the fact that the idea of having a hole clean through her chest that didn't hurt just made it worse. She looked at the spell charging in front of her, almost completed. Draining her Linker Core should have put her out on the fight on the spot, but her aggressor's lateness to the party had caused them to make a fatal flaw:

Starlight Breaker gathered together magical energy spread about the area, and only required the barest minimum of magical talent to actually execute. Nanoha could do it even if she'd already bled herself dry over the course of the fight. She raised Raging Heart, gritting her teeth. "S... **Starlight Breaker**!" she screamed, and smashed Raging Heart against the pink orb in front of her.

The blast bordered on the indescribable. The first wave simply rushed up and smacked against the top of the dome, a kilometre above the city. The second expanded worryingly at the point of eruption, briefly threatening to simply wipe out everything within the barrier, but at the last second it punched through the dome and exploded outwards, becoming a pink meteor rising into the sky, simply shattering the barrier Vita had created like so much cheap plastic.

All fighting had ceased at this point just to watch in amazement – especially Alexis, who had never seen anything on this scale before; had that blast been angled at the city below there just plain wouldn't have been anything left over. "Fuck _me_..."

Then Shamal withdrew her hand and Nanoha collapsed; Raging Heart clattered away from her hands. Signum raised her sword, quickly rallying the other Knights.

_The barrier's down, so we're exposed; we're getting out of here._

_Sorry, Shamal; you saved us._ Vita threw in as she accelerated away from Alexis, leaving her in the dust.

Shamal smiled and withdrew from the rooftop. _It's fine; let's just meet at the usual spot!_

* * *

"What's wrong, EnBey?"

Normally, at this time of night, the doors and curtains would be shut and the blonde would be in bed, but her partner was pulling a late shift at work to get set up for next week, so she was alone... almost. The little fox-thing on her balcony – halfway between a cat and a fox, blue-eyed face set into a permanently pissed-off frown – had been curled up there all evening, narkily talking about not-much with her. Now, though, he was on all fours on the balcony railing, body squared as if on edge, long ears shaking right down to the thorny rings wrapped around their extremes.

"Something's coming." His voice wasn't exactly heard by her ears as much as her mind. "Something real fucking bad."

"A Witch?" the girl rose from her place at the table, leaving her teacup behind and coming to his side.

"No. I..." EnBey wriggled, setting the blue octagon on his back rippling. "I don't know. Not a Witch. Worse than that." he hissed. "Don't... make a move yet. It's not close, and it's not focused on us. But something's definitely fucking _wrong_ here." the critter turned to look at his companion directly. "Things are worse than ever from here on, Mami."

* * *

"Well, that was a fucking bust." Alexis muttered. The group had conjugated around Nanoha, who was fortunately still breathing and didn't seem especially injured beyond being beaten up. Yuuno, as ever, was busily applying a healing spell to her, almost silent. Fate, too, was totally focused on her wounded friend... which left Arf to question Alexis.

"Who _are_ you, anyway? You just randomly turned up... you don't even smell of magic."

"Like I said, my name is Alexis... Alexis Weaver." she put her hands on her hips. "I'm, well, that's a long story, but I'm not your enemy."

Arf folded her arms. "Sure, you say that... well, you helped us, so I guess that'll do for now."

"So you're her... what, big sister?" Alexis half-turned to acknowledge Fate, although her eyes never left Arf.

"Her familiar... hey, stop eyeing me up!" Arf snapped.

"Sorry." Alexis smirked, completely insincere. And then, as before, everything went wrong again.

The air around them hazed, as if turning to static – only slightly, but right at the edge of their vision, and Alexis winced and looked up to the sky, hissing. "Are you fucking _kidding me_? They're onto me already...!" she growled, pointing out four shapes in the sky, descending fast.

Each one was like a metallic skeleton, stripped down to the barest bones. The head tapered to a sharp point, with a thin visor that glowed bright pink, while of its arms, one terminated in four brightly-glowing claws and the other finished in a huge shield, as if to provide attack and defence. It didn't take a genius to pick their flight pattern; they were definitely locked onto Alexis. She whipped around, talking quickly.

"I'm sorry to put this on you, but can I ask for your help?"

Fate stood up from Nanoha, glancing at the ruined Bardiche and licking her lips. "What are they?"

"... they're the heralds of a force called the Memory Recorders." Alexis said after a moment, looking back over her shoulder. "The worst enemy... I'll explain later, I promise."

"I can't move Nanoha like this." Yuuno chimed in. "I can look after her here, but moving her would be bad, so you need to at least draw them away." he looked at Alexis, not acknowledging their possible support.

She nodded and turned away. "I can do that."

"We'll help." Fate stepped to her side and glanced up at her. "At least, we'll repay you."

Alexis smiled at her. "It's been a while since I fought alongside allies. Ready, Skull Heart?"

Her pendant glowed brightly, letting loose its brash voice.

[IT'S CLOBBERING TIME]

* * *

I'm not normally big on Author's Notes or whatever, but I'll justify myself on one thing: Signum's move, Purple Lightning Flash, was rendered as 'Shiden Issen' in this because it's a four kanji idiom, a very archaic speech style meant to play up her samurai theme (see Sanger Zonvolt in SRW for a comparable example). It's just as archaic and unusual to the characters who natively speak Japanese, so I left it in for that reason.


	3. Stage 3: Slash the Dimension

"Memory Recorders! You don't belong in this world!"

Alexis hadn't led the charge – she'd left that to Fate, who was so fast she'd dashed between the chromed skeletons and it had taken them almost an entire second to turn around... enough time for Alexis and Arf to crash into two of the four from behind, splitting them up. The other two locked on to Fate, who flitted away, getting a measure of them before she moved in to attack. Down below, Yuuno worked overtime, not only focused on protecting and maintaining Nanoha, but throwing up a new barrier to ensure the city wouldn't be damaged, either.

The skeletons certainly weren't on the same level as the Knights they had been fighting before – they mostly hid behind their shields for the moment, analysing and being analysed in turn. "Sure are weak for something you're so scared of!" Arf called over at Alexis, who had her Saber out and was busy trying to cut through her target's shimmering shield.

"These are just the lowest rungs on the hierarchy. Watch the claws, they don't care about armor or anything!"

"We'll see about that...!" Arf's dance partner finally made its move – its red visor glowed, just for a moment, and it lashed out with its huge claw, leaving four black 'cracks' in the air as if it was cutting through reality itself. Arf's hand came up, drawing an orange circle in the air in front of her, marked over with runes – another Mid-Childan barrier as usual – but this time it didn't do so much as stop the incoming claw. Instead, the barrier was split apart like it wasn't even there, and Arf snarled and drove her fist into the center of the thing's hand, blocking it the way instead. "What the hell?"

"Look at the air." Alexis advised her, now sword-locked against her skeleton's claw. Arf glanced at the black lines from where the claw had passed. They were almost sparking quietly at the edge, and looking directly at them gave her a headache, like she was staring at something she wasn't meant to be able to see – but then the gaps sealed up again and the world went back to normal.

"What?"

"Even their weakest fighters can wound reality like this. If they hit you... just don't let them hit you." Alexis made her move then, rolling the thing's claw to the outside and smashing the hilt of her sword into its visor, forcing it backwards. Arf didn't spare her a glance; she shifted her grip and spun the creature in midair, popping up a little and raising one leg high, glowing golden. The skeleton raised its shield to defend itself; too bad.

"**Barrier Break**!"

Her glowing leg descended like a bolt of lightning, smashing through the shield and almost cutting the Recorder clean in half. Its right arm came off at the shoulder; Arf's kick terminated when it connected with the creature's hip, and it rocketed down to the ground below, causing a meter-deep crater in the road below. The skeleton didn't survive; bits and pieces of it scattered over the area like so much shrapnel. Arf didn't waste time checking, she hurried off to help out Fate, who had to contend with fighting two at once.

Fate danced away from a slash, moving almost twice as far as she needed to. She took the opportunity to wipe her forehead, stopping sweat from dripping into her eyes. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally; Signum had outmatched her and left her aching all over, and by now the combination of fear and adrenaline that had come over her when Nanoha had been taken down was starting to run dry.

Which is why she didn't manage to stop it when two more skeletons dropped out of the sky and fell towards the rooftop Nanoha and Yuuno had taken over, in brazen defiance of Yuuno's barrier.

Fate grit her teeth and started to move, but the two she'd been fighting blocked her path, and she had to block another slash with her wounded Device. Arf would never make it in time. She screamed out as the claw descended over her friend. "Nanoha!"

The claw clanged off a disc of green.

"I said I'd protect her. Do you think I'd let something as weak as you break that promise?"

Fate nearly fell out of the air. She'd forgotten all about Yuuno, now standing in front of Nanoha, one hand raised to project a circular disk – the same spell Arf had used, but for some reason, the Memory Recorder just wasn't able to penetrate it. Alexis' jaw dropped.

"Are you _kidding_?"

Yuuno slowly turned his head, audibly cracking his neck. He hadn't had to fight in a long time, so he was quite rusty, but that shouldn't be a problem. Second one incoming. His other hand came up.

"**Chain Bind**!"

Another magic circle sprung into life, and a moment later a good six or eight emerald chains burst forth from it, wrapping the oncoming skeleton tight; it could move neither forwards nor backwards, let alone attack. Yuuno turned his attention on the one still trying to get through his shield, to Nanoha. He was almost glad she wasn't awake to see this. "As for you..."

He flicked his hand the Recorder sailed backwards, propelled by his exploding barrier, but it didn't travel more than five meters before it smashed into another conjured behind. This time Yuuno blasted it upwards – and then down again, treating the skeleton like a pinball in a machine. At the last second, as it came aside, he threw up another barrier at an angle, then one of the cushioning barriers he'd once used to rescue Nanoha from a fall. This time, the Recorder bounced off it, straight back at him, and Yuuno brought up a small barrier in front of his fist, attacking the chrome creature with a straight punch to the midsection. The blow was beautiful, sliding straight under its arms and driving the barrier into its spindly chest – Yuuno's fist didn't make contact – and as it staggered back, he spread his hand and the barrier expanded, blowing the skeleton apart from within. With his other hand, Yuuno casually curled it into a fist, and the Chain Bind contracted, cutting the machine to pieces.

Neither of them had come within five meters of Nanoha.

There was a whole lot of silence up above. In the midst of the hyper-violence down below, Alexis had managed to stab her target in the face, and Arf and Fate together had first bound, then casually dissected, the Memory Recorders who had been ganging up on Fate, leaving a gentle rain of shimmering metal. As the shrapnel hit the ground, it turned briefly to static – just like when they'd first appeared – and faded away, leaving them alone.

Alexis finally broke the silence, sounding somewhere between terrified and impressed. "Fucking hell."

* * *

"Well, the good news is that Nanoha isn't physically injured, and she'll be fine with some rest." Admiral Lindy Harlaown read off her flatscreen, half-slouched in the high-backed chair. A tall woman, she fitted the blue-and-white uniform admirably. The marks on her forehead, partially-obscured by her done-up mint-green hair, helped give context to the name of her ship, the _Asura – _although, of course, right now the _Asura _was in for repairs at this terminal station. Across the long table, Fate slouched, visibly relieved at the verdict. She was fairly bandaged up herself, although she hadn't been beaten anywhere near as badly as Nanoha had been. "The bad news is that Raging Heart and Bardiche are seriously damaged and will be in repairs for some time. And that leaves you." Lindy's soft gaze turned on Alexis, who had reverted back to her black longcoat from her Barrier Jacket and was wearing it loose over her shoulders. "What are you doing on Earth?"

"Sightseeing." Alexis returned drily. "I just happened to see a fight and get involved in it."

"And apparently knew about, and were the target of, a secondary set of aggressors that you called 'Memory Recorders'." Obviously, Lindy didn't buy her response. "Well, Earth isn't under TSAB administration, so unless you do something obviously wrong we don't have any quarrel with you. You're free to go."

"I'm going to be in the area for a bit, so look me up if you want some additional firepower." Alexis offered in turn. "I'm not very strong, but you guys look like you could use all the help you can get."

Beside her, Fate bristled at the implication. "That's..."

"We'll do that." Lindy talked across her, cutting any potential conflict short. "That will be all."

This time, Alexis took the hint and slunk out, leaving Fate alone in the ready room. Lindy took a moment before she spoke up.

"Are you alright?"

Fate swallowed. "I've been attended to."

"That's not what I meant." Lindy shook her head. "How are you feeling?"

This time, Fate took a while to reply. "How am I... feeling...?" she licked her lips, blushed and looked down, completely out of her depth with the situation. Lindy didn't rush her. After almost a minute, Fate felt ready to put her emotions, normally so locked up, into words. "I am... ashamed. I was too slow, and too weak. Because of that, Nanoha was..."

Lindy knit her fingers together above the table. "She's awake. Why not go and see her?"

"Can I?" Fate looked up, barely able to hide the eagerness showing through. Lindy hid her smile behind her hands.

"Of course."

* * *

"It's gone?"

"Fuckin' things up and vanished." EnBey hopped off the railing and onto Mami's balcony, pacing in a circle. His everything was twitching, obviously rattled like mad. "Get your phone and call Kyoko."

Mami almost dropped her teacup – she had to fumble it with her other hand, but she avoided spilling any of the rich tea. "What."

"Did I fucking stutter? Oh wait, _I'm telepathic_!" he snapped. "Call Kyoko. I need to speak to her. _Yesterday_."

"I really don't think she'll answer..." in spite of herself, Mami reached for her cutesy pink cell phone. Nobody had told her it clashed awfully with her generally-yellow... everything. Sure enough, there was no reply when she dialled, even though she let the phone ring out. "See?"

"Son of a... alright, I'm going to go and get her." he leapt back to the balcony railing. "If something happens in the next few days. Deal with it."

Mami let out a breath, choosing not to speak her mind in this instance. "Very well."

"Good." the cat-thing flickered off into the night. Mami put her cup down and fell onto her back. What could have EnBey so freaked out?

* * *

"Nanoha!" Fate called to her from across the room. Nanoha had woken up not so long ago, and in defiance of her usual attitude, was being a good girl and actually resting. Fate's arrival was a blessed chance for her to rise from her hospital bed, although Fate had to catch her because her legs gave out after two steps. They remained there for some time before Fate gently carried her back to bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Nanoha lay back against the pillows with a grimace forming on her lips. "I just have to rest. And Raging Heart..." she shut her eyes. Fate let out a breath.

"They're being repaired. But those that we fought... Belkan Knights. They were... overwhelming." she finished after a moment, not liking to admit it. Nanoha squeezed her hand.

"Fate." Fate looked up at her. Nanoha's gaze met hers, perfectly steady. Fate shivered. "Let's get strong. That woman, I want you to find her. She's still here, right?"

"I... probably. Why?" Fate frowned. "Why would you want her...?"

Nanoha smiled, just a little bit mysterious. "She's tall, and she fights like they do."

* * *

Fate caught up with Alexis down in the station's hangar, interrupting her negotiations for passage back to Earth with one of the preparing teams. "Weaver."

"Fate." she left off, folding her arms across her chest. "What's wrong?"

"Nanoha wants you to stay." Fate told her, just barely able to hide her annoyance. Alexis grinned.

"Not happy?"

Fate's irritated expression became a muted scowl. "That's none of your concern. Regardless, she wants you to stay and train with us."

Alexis played with the pendant around her neck, considering. Fraternising with the TSAB wasn't exactly to her advantage, but then again, it wasn't like _they_ were going to talk to this backwater station, and the extra backup if the Memory Recorders came knocking would be useful. Plus, that Nanoha girl was something else... Alexis had _never_ seen a magical attack like that before. Then there was that sexy fox girl, what was her name? Arf. That sealed it. "Sure. I do need a place to stay, though."

Fate bit her lip. "... I'll ask the Admiral. Don't leave the station in the meantime."

"I'll help myself to some food instead." Alexis shrugged. "By the way, have you seen your friend? Arf?"

Fate instantly went on guard at that. Arf could take care of herself, yes, but she was still Fate's familiar, her closest and oldest companion. "Why?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I thought I'd try my luck." Alexis smirked. Fate very nearly slapped her, but she held off and simply turned away.

"No clue."

* * *

"This seat taken?" Unfortunately for Fate, Arf had the misfortune to actually be in the mess hall when Alexis came through, and promptly came under the tan woman's attentions.

"Nope." The rest of the crew had taken to giving Arf a wide berth, and Alexis promptly took a seat next to her. She must have been starving, judging from the fact that her plate was heaped nearly as high as Arf's had been, although Arf couldn't help but notice that Alexis had stacked her dish with nothing but meat.

"You got something against vegetables?"

"Rabbit food." Alexis wrinkled her nose. "I like something that I can sink my teeth into." she smiled sideways at Arf, who snorted and busied herself with her meal. "Hey, thanks for that help earlier. I really would have been dead if you and yours hadn't agreed to help."

Arf considered around a piece of... not carrot, but something close enough. "You owe us an explanation about that, by the way." Alexis winced.

"I'd kind of rather not."

"I'd kind of rather you do." Arf replied. "It's my job to protect Fate and that means that if they attack again I _need to know_."

"It's better if you don't." Alexis said quietly, looking down at her plate. "I'm not exaggerating. I'm even hoping they won't turn up again. If they do... I'll explain everything then. Okay?"

Arf's ears fell flat. "Fine... but if you don't, I'll get it out of you the hard way."

"Kinky." Alexis replied around a small mouthful, making Arf blush.

"Hey!"

"Sorry." Alexis said, completely untruthful, and completely unable to hide the smirk that rose. This was going to be fun.

* * *

The eventual decision was that Lindy, along with her top rankers – Fate, her son, Crono, and her tactical officer, Amy – would take up residence in Uminari, not too far from Nanoha, to protect her while her Linker Core regenerated. As a part of the proceedings (and by virtue of the fact that their 'apartment' was more like a two story mansion), Alexis had been allowed to stay with them as well, as per her request. By the time they'd all got moved in, even with Nanoha's help, it was well and truly sunset, but Nanoha was insistent, which is why they'd all – sans Lindy, Crono, and Amy, who had remained indoors studying footage from the attack – come out onto the deck to practice.

"You get cold doing this kind of thing in bare feet." Alexis muttered to herself. The deck was wood, and while the sun was shining, it was still the middle of winter and still cold, and since she wasn't going to be wearing her shoes inside – and her socks would have been too slippery on the fresh deck – she didn't have much of a choice. Nanoha, apparently immune to the cold judging by her short skirt, tossed her a bokken, which she fielded easily. "Why me, anyway?"

"You're tall." Nanoha replied, raising her wooden sword. "You're probably not as strong as that red girl, but you're almost twice my height."

"Ah..." Fate, standing on the sidelines, caught on. "You want to simulate the strength difference... that's why you needed her."

"Right. Arf's the wrong kind of strong." Nanoha smiled at Arf, who was leaned up against the wall, just watching.

"Well, it's not like I mind, but did it have to be her...?" Arf said it out loud, but her tone suggested she was merely pondering.

"That aside, are you alright to be training?" Fate put in gently. After all, Nanoha had been on her back for a while. Nanoha laughed.

"I was forced to lie down for a couple of days so I'm just bursting with energy. Let's get started!" Alexis snorted and raised her own weapon.

_Well, I probably shouldn't try too hard -_

Her train of thought was shattered as Nanoha smacked the sword straight out of her hands, leaving it clattering to the far end of the deck, and followed through with a slash that she stopped just shy of Alexis' left side. "_Dou_!"

Then Nanoha straightened up and smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Alexis. Please be serious, or this will happen and it will be a waste of our time."

In that moment, and in the hours that followed, Alexis found several new reasons to be terrified of the White Devil.

* * *

AN: Long time, huh. Uni is hard work.


End file.
